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Some times you make them, Sometimes you break them

I remember when we took djmed’s boss on his first rabbit hunt. We took him to Mr. Murphy’s near the old Salem Shotwell Bridge. We broke him.
In hindsight, We should have taken him to a place that was more ameniable to the first time rabbit hunter. Mr. Murphy had someof the toughest cane briars I’ve ever seen. The only way to move around in some sections was to pick up a length of wood, throw it on the briars to bend them over. Raise your foot up high and walk to the piece of wood. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It probably didn’t help that I told him to wlak up about twenty yards. Reflecting on the hunt, I suppose that djmed was lucky he wasn’t fired.

On last Saturday’s hunt we had two newbies, a grown man and a thirteen year old, Gregory.
We had a long race, one where the rabbit circled us twice, once passing immediately behind us undetected. I was to busy watching Gregory fidget and the rabbit was a long way ahead of the dogs.

After that race we dropped off into a drainage for a pond to head back to the vehicles to move to our usual parking spot. The drainage will test your metal. Briars, vines and thin saplings blocked our way. To go five yards forward, sometimes required us to go left or right for ten..

Gregory, hatless and gloveless made good time and soon topped the next hill where he stayed with MiddleBoy for the next race. I’m still trying to figure out what happened, but there were three shots, Sebastian, Gregory and then MiddleBoy. Middle boy said he just finished off the rabbit that Gregory had hit rather than run it down.
After we got back to the truck, the other newbie had to leave. Something about his wife being sick.

After lunch, we had a good afternoon finishing the day with 10. I even got a rabbit that ran through a briar patch that Gregory and Steve had deserted a little to early.

On the way home with gregory in the back seat and Middle Boy in the passenger seat, MB asked him “Ok, we’re alone. Just between us, what did you think of it?”
“Well, I’d like to go again if I could on Saturday. And you know I’m home schooled. I’m sure my mom would let me go on those weekday hunts to.”